NBA Rumors: Lakers And Two Other Teams ‘Resisted The Idea’ Of Acquiring Carmelo Anthony, Per Marc Stein
In the recent offseason, Carmelo Anthony signed with the Houston Rockets with the hope that he could help them contend for the NBA championship title in the 2018-19 NBA season. Unfortunately, Anthony struggled to make himself fit in coach Mike D’Antoni’s system which made the Rockets decide to remove him from their rotation. As of now, the Rockets remain active on the trade market, trying to find Anthony a new home.
However, searching for a team who is willing to trade for Carmelo Anthony proves to be a tough challenge for the Rockets. In a Twitter post, Marc Stein of the New York Times revealed that NBA teams who are rumored to be interested in Anthony have “resisted the idea” of acquiring him from the Rockets. These teams include the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Charlotte Hornets.
“Anthony, like Ariza, became trade-eligible Saturday. And Houston has some incentive to keep trying to find a trade taker for him, since shedding Melo’s $2.4 million veteran minimum contract in such a deal will result in a luxury-tax savings in the $2.6 million range. But the teams most often mentioned as potential landing spots for Anthony – Philadelphia and LeBron James’s Lakers – have resisted the idea thus far. Charlotte has likewise passed to date, despite rumbles that the Hornets would naturally consider him given Anthony’s long association through with the Hornets owner Michael Jordan through Jordan Brand.”
The #Sixers are among multiple teams who have held off on signing Carmelo Anthony, although they're considered a possible landing spot. #NBA https://t.co/qa8KDmRyoc
— Sixers Wire (@SixersWire) December 19, 2018
It’s not a surprise why Carmelo Anthony has been frequently linked to the Lakers. They currently have LeBron James, who is Anthony’s close pal and co-member of the infamous Banana Boat Crew. James admitted that he always wanted to play with Anthony, but he will just let the Lakers’ front office decide whether they will consider adding Melo to their roster or not.
Despite his defensive issues, Carmelo Anthony could still be a reliable offensive playmaker, but the Lakers already have LeBron James, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Lonzo Ball for that role. The same thing with the Sixers who have Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons. It remains a mystery why the Hornets are not interested in acquiring Anthony.
With their goal to return to the Eastern Conference Playoffs this season, the Hornets obviously need more firepower to surround Kemba Walker. Carmelo Anthony may already be on the downside of his NBA career, but he could still be a major contributor in terms of scoring. Being traded to a team that could give him a more significant role on the offensive end of the floor could help Anthony regain his confidence and return to his All-Star form.
